Author Archives: Justin
California Ghost Towns: Pine Grove And The Cole Cash (or Comet) Mine
Located in Plumas County near the town of La Porte, the cliffs pictured below mark the site where the gold rush town of Pine Grove used to be: Until recently, I did not know that Pine Grove used to be here. I just thought it was an interesting mining site. So, all of the pictures … Continue reading
The Finsbury Park Mosque
Now known as the North London Central Mosque, the Finsbury Park Mosque rose to infamy in the early 2000s as one after another of its alumni made a name for themselves in the world of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism. Leadership disputes in the 1990s, allowed extremist Islamist preachers (many of which were refugees from the … Continue reading
California Ghost Towns: Port Wine
Located in Sierra County near the town of La Porte (which is not a ghost town), Port Wine had its beginnings in early 1850. Stories about the naming of the town include miners finding a barrel of Port hidden in the bushes and another story tells of finding a keg of cognac. No one knows … Continue reading
Chewing Khat
Khat, chat, qat or miraa are the leaves of the shrub Catha edulis. And if you head to eastern Ethiopia or Somalia, you won’t have to be there long to notice the bulging cheeks of the khat chewer. Originating in the hills of eastern Ethiopia the khat plant has spread across large parts of East … Continue reading
Ashetan, Ethiopia
Perched in the mountains above Lalibela is the small village of Ashetan. After visiting Yemrehanna Kristos, my Italian and I realized that we were quite taken with these mountain villages and opted to check this one out as well. The trail up begins right in Lalibela and it is quite a hike, especially if you … Continue reading
Quote of the Day: Tadeusz Borowski
Writing of his experiences in the Nazi death camps in This way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentleman… “The whole world is really like the concentration camp; the weak work for the strong, and if they have no strength or will to work – then let them steal, or let them die. The world is … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 